


The Curious Witch and the Cursed Wolf

by RiotFalling



Series: Bucky Barnes Bingo 2020 [5]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Banter, Fairytale Vibes, Fantasy AU, Fluff, M/M, non-graphic injury, witch!Tony, wolf!Bucky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:41:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26767432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiotFalling/pseuds/RiotFalling
Summary: Once upon a time there was a man, and a wolf. They both went into the forest looking for different things, and instead they found each other.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Series: Bucky Barnes Bingo 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1738375
Comments: 38
Kudos: 200
Collections: Bucky Barnes Bingo 2020, StarkBucksBingo2020





	1. A Man and A Wolf

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Gayspacesprinkles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gayspacesprinkles/gifts).



> Hello! You may have noticed, I am not doing Kinktober this year. Instead, I bring you a fairytale based on the crazy adorable art by [@gayspacesprinkles](https://gayspacesprinkles.tumblr.com/) from last October. Because that’s when we became bros.
> 
> HAPPY BRO-ANNIVERSARY BRO. **100/10** would bro again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: The Curious Witch and the Cursed Wolf (Chapter 1)  
> Collaborator(s): Riot  
> Square Filled: C2, AU: medieval/fantasy  
> Ship/Main Pairing: WinterIron  
> Rating: T  
> Major Tags/Warnings: fantasy AU, witch!Tony, wolf!Bucky, fairytale vibes, Non-graphic injury  
> Summary: Once upon a time there was a man, and a wolf. They both went into the forest looking for different things, and instead they found each other.  
> Word Count: 1,288

**The Curious Witch and the Cursed Wolf**

_Once upon a time, there was a man._

_Far too clever, too curious, too driven to understand. He always insisted on looking to the future, finding a better way._

_The rest of the village didn’t like his talk of the future. They preferred to keep themselves firmly rooted in the present, thank you very much. There was always far too much work to be done._

_The man still tried. He learned everything he could, studied math and languages and science. He built fantastical machines using the meager supplies available, genius creations to try and make the work easier, but the people of his small village weren’t interested._

_They didn’t like change, and they didn’t understand why the man craved it. They didn’t understand **him.**_

_They never asked him to leave, but the man could tell that they wanted to. They gave him the cold shoulder, they whispered about him as he passed in the streets, they treated him like he was already an outsider._

_So the man left._

_He had plenty more to learn anyways._

* * *

Tony ends up at the edge of a forest, following rumors of _magic_ of all things.

In the tiny village he grew up in, the idea of magic was scoffed at and quickly dismissed. Everyone was too practical, too down to earth, too _busy_ to wonder.

But Tony has always been told that he’s too curious, after all. And he’s always wondered.

So he hears the rumors, and he follows them. From cobble streets to small dirt roads, until he reaches a tiny rundown inn, built right against the edge of a thick, sprawling forest.

“In the trees,” says the wrinkled man behind the desk, in a voice that crackles like a burning log. “Lots of things in the trees, lots of strange and wonderful things.”

He tells Tony about giant beasts and shifting lights, about people who go into the forest and come out healed, stronger, _different,_ about people who never come out at all.

Tony listens late into the night, until the candles burn low and cast wild shadows on the walls, until the inn falls quiet around them. Then he goes up to the attic room and stares at the cracks in the ceiling, the bright starlight that winks through, and struggles to sleep.

He’s too excited, too lost in imagining all the things he can learn, and he finally falls asleep to dreams of moon light on shifting leaves, of cold wind and sharp teeth.

When he leaves in the morning the inn is empty, everything covered in thick layers of dust, cold and empty. As if it’s long been abandoned.

There is undeniably something magical about the forest, as he steps into it.

The trees tower above him, as wide around as the small houses of his old village. He can hear the rustle of giant wings, the call of birds and the shuffle of animals in the brush, but he never sees a thing.

He walks deeper, until the thick leaves cast everything in shadow and the trail gets smaller, until the trail disappears entirely.

There are plants he doesn’t recognize, swirls of minerals in the stones that he’s never seen before. The old man in the inn had given him plenty of warnings, but Tony has always been too curious for his own good.

In a clearing he finds huge chunks of gemstone, bursting through a crack in the earth and splitting off into sharp peaks, surrounded by a perfect circle of flowering vines.

Even in the heavy shadows of the trees, the crystalline structure of the stone glows, as if lit from within. The forest has fallen silent around him.

Tony should know better than to touch something without thorough examination first, but the gentle glow calls him in, beckoning, and Tony reaches out without thought.

The crystal is warm beneath his fingers, almost _pulsing,_ and then a bright light consumes him and a shockwave ripples through the clearing.

He wakes up to birdsong, golden light of sunset making the leaves above him glow, and Tony pushes himself upright slowly.

He appears miraculously unharmed, even if his clothes are a bit worse for wear, although it’s disappointing to see that the shards of crystal have gone dim.

And then Tony realizes, there is still a faint blue glow hovering around the clearing, a glow that’s coming from his chest.

* * *

_Once upon a time there was a wolf._

_Or maybe he was a man, just caught under a terrible curse. Because sometimes he had dreams about holding a sword, about speaking, about clutching someone’s hand in his own._

_But that was a long time ago, and the wolf could barely remember it anymore. He could still make himself understood, if he really tried, and he didn’t have anyone to cling to anymore anyways._

_The only constant he had was being hunted, by men and other beasts and figures in dark robes. Always hunted, always being followed, and so he was always on the move._

_If the wolf had ever had a home it was a terribly long time ago now, left behind terribly far away. He’d long since stopped dreaming of going back, or of finding a new one._

_All he had was running, staying on the move, trying to stay alive._

_He tried not to let himself dream of something more._

* * *

The dark figures are getting closer, closer, and the wolf runs faster.

He just needs to make it to the forest, he can lose them in the trees, where the thick leaves will dull the bright light of the full moon.

They won’t follow him very deep into the forest, he _knows_ it although he doesn’t know how. The wolf just needs to keep running.

But it seems like no matter how fast he runs, the forest never gets any closer and the field stretches out endless around him. The tall grass sways in the wind around him, nearly swallowing him whole and still the wolf pushes forward.

The hunters are catching up.

As far back as the wolf can remember, they have been hunting him, and his memory doesn’t even go back that far. Certainly not as far as it should, there’s too many gaps and holes, it doesn’t match how tired and bone-ancient he feels.

He remembers the hunters, though. They are a constant, sometimes in disguise and sometimes in their dark robes, but he always remembers the way they smell. Like lightning and brush fire, and always like blood.

He can smell them now, getting closer.

The moon is so bright above him, and the night is endless, and the field is unending.

Until suddenly the grass ends, and the ground falls away into a sharp cliff.

The wolf’s paws slide in the loose dirt, and he skids to a stop just before he goes over the edge. The ground is so terribly far away, sheer cliff face down to a wide river.

The hunters are moving closer, fanning out, preparing to strike.

The wolf snarls, bares his teeth, glances over the cliff again. The river below rushes loudly, too far down to jump.

His fur stands on end as the scent of smoke and flame grows stronger, the sound of low chanting nearly lost beneath the wind.

He can feel magic building in the air and the wolf crouches low, prepares to run. If he can follow the edge of the cliff, if he can slip past them and make it across the river, maybe he can still make it to the forest.

He has to _try._

There’s a bright burst of light, of _heat,_ moving towards him like an arrow. It catches him in the shoulder, and he falls.


	2. A Meeting and A Revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: The Curious Witch and the Cursed Wolf (Chapter 2)  
> Collaborator(s): Riot  
> Square Filled: K3, Just do it  
> Ship/Main Pairing: WinterIron  
> Rating: T  
> Major Tags/Warnings: fantasy AU, witch!Tony, wolf!Bucky, fairytale vibes, Non-graphic injury  
> Summary: Once upon a time there was a man, and a wolf. They both went into the forest looking for different things, and instead they found each other.  
> Word Count: 1,871

_Once upon a time there was a wolf, injured and alone, crawling his way towards the forest, looking for safety._

* * *

The wolf waits until all he can hear is the rush of the water, the rustle of the grass on the cliff above, until the hunters leave.

They must think he’s dead. He _should_ be dead, still unsure how he managed to drag himself out of the cold water and onto the shore.

He still might die, bleeding heavily until the scent of it fills the air, drowns out everything else. He needs to move, he can’t risk that the hunters are just circling around to finish him off.

The forest still seems so far away.

The wolf forces himself to move, and slowly, so slowly, he begins dragging himself on three legs towards the tree line.

* * *

He wakes up to the snap of a branch and the wolf snarls weakly, sluggishly looking around for the source of the noise.

There’s a man, hidden behind a tree and given away by the loud, terrified pounding of his heart.

The wolf snarls again because it’s all he can do, too weak to move.

The man doesn’t smell like danger, he smells like rain and clean earth. When he pokes his head out around the tree his hair is a mess, leaves caught in the loose brown curls and dirt smeared across his face.

“Hi,” the man says softly, and then squeaks when the wolf growls low in his chest, big brown eyes going wide.

The wolf stops growling, feels a little bad about the scared-deer look in the man’s eye because no, that’s not what he wants. He doesn’t want to be a monster, what everyone accuses him of being.

So he whines instead, and the man steps out from behind the tree, moves carefully closer.

“Okay, okay hi,” the man says. “I want to help you, but um- fair warning I have very little medical expertise, unless you count bandaging myself up, but I do actually have a surprising amount of experience in that, so, _oh—“_

The man’s rambling cuts off with a soft sound as he gets closer, close enough to see the missing limb, the ground dark with blood beneath them.

“Okay,” the man says again, voice breaking, but he’s still stepping closer. “Wow, you- we gotta stop the bleeding, I-I’ll be right back.”

He wants to tell the man not to bother. The man’s clothes look torn and he looks tired, like he has enough to worry about. The wolf has been running for so long, it was bound to end eventually.

But the man is already turning, running off into the trees. The wolf lets his eyes fall closed again.

He's just so _tired._

The man comes back with a couple uprooted plants clenched in one hand and halfway through stripping off his tattered shirt with the other, the scent of goldenrod and yarrow thick in the air.

He approaches slowly, warily, but he smells more like worry than fear. There’s a slight glow around him, spreading from a point in the center of his chest like trapped starlight.

"I'm going to try and stop the bleeding," the man says, voice shaking. "Please don't eat me, I'm going to go slow and tell you everything I'm doing, so- well, I guess that's assuming you even know what I'm saying, but I've seen a lot of crazy shit the past couple weeks—"

 _ **Just do it,**_ the wolf thinks, and the man’s eyes widen a little.

He doesn't pause though, drops to his knees beside the wolf and gets to work.

His hands are calloused, but gentle, pressing crushed herbs against the wound, using his own shirt as a bandage, talking softly the entire time.

His name is Tony, and he came to the forest to learn, because he wants to know more, wants to learn how to make things _better._

 _ **Alone?**_ The wolf thinks, trying to distract himself from the agony of Tony tightening the makeshift bandage.

Tony gives a tiny shrug and his smile is even smaller.

"I'm always alone," he says.

The wolf whines softly, because he understands, but Tony apologizes in a broken voice, gentles his hands impossibly further.

He strokes along the wolf’s side, fingers gentle and _so warm_ as they slide through his fur.

The wolf falls asleep to warm blue light growing brighter around him, the scent of sun-warmed stone and clear nights.

Tony’s hands are warm and the pain is slowly fading away.

* * *

The wolf wakes up feeling rested, feeling _healed,_ still down a leg but the ache of it is completely gone.

Tony is still there, retreated across the small clearing to give the wolf some space.

“Hey,” he says, perking up when he sees the wolf watching him warily. “You’re awake, I wasn’t sure—“ he pauses, lets out a slow breath, and then smiles so wide that his eyes shine with it. “I’m glad.”

The wolf flicks his ears forward, thumps his tail once against the ground. When he works up the energy to shift his shoulders there’s no pain.

He’ll live for now.

 _ **Thank you,**_ he thinks, and Tony smiles, and the wolf expects that to be the end of it.

Tony will leave, or demand a favor and wind up very disappointed when he learns he wasted his time saving something with very little power of its own. Then the wolf can get on with figuring out if he can actually _survive._

But instead Tony just _stays,_ brings him rabbits and tries to hide his wince when the wolf gobbles them up in one bite. He sleeps on the other side of the small clearing, dug in amongst the roots, shivering slightly.

He stays until the wolf can stand, until he can walk, only a little unsteady on his three legs.

“Lookin’ good!” Tony cheers, curled up against his tree with plants and rocks scattered around him, a tiny notebook spread across his lap.

The wolf knows that he should leave, before the hunters find him again, or someone else, before Tony realizes that he’s saved a monster.

Instead he steps carefully closer, head down, trying to look as harmless as possible, making himself smaller. A careful smile starts to grow on Tony’s face.

"Well," Tony says slowly, "I guess, you probably want to be on your way, unless—“

 _“There_ you are!” Comes a tiny voice from the bushes, startlingly close to where Tony is seated, soft and sweet if incredibly frustrated.

The wolf is across the clearing before he knows it, standing protectively between Tony and the noise and growling low in his chest, fur standing on end.

“Finally staying in one place, been following you since you activated the damn crystal," the voice continues, and whoever it is is talking more to herself than anything, leaves rustling around the source of the noise.

"Do you know how hard it is to keep up with you when you won’t stop exploring?!” the voice demands, raising again. “Damnit Tony, I am very small!”

Sure enough, the creature that emerges from the brush is quite small, barely bigger than a rabbit and the wolf can definitely eat it in one bite if he needs to.

Maybe he shouldn't though. The ball of light with fluttering wings glows a soft blue that matches the glow in Tony's chest, and maybe they're friends.

He probably shouldn't eat Tony's friends.

Except Tony's quick heartbeat still echoes in the wolf's ears, fuels the low growl still rumbling through his chest, and Tony's voice shakes a little as he asks “Um, do I know you?”

The wolf growls again, snaps his teeth, and the ball of light floats up a little higher.

“Call off the dogs,” she says, sounding more offended than anything, “I have something important to tell you.”

"Wait,” Tony says, crawling out of his nest in the tree roots. “Were you the one talking to me by that river a little while ago?"

_"Yes!"_

"Oh my god I thought that was a bird!” Tony groans, slapping his hands over his face and further smearing himself in dirt. "I gave it my last bit of bread!"

"I told you _not_ to!" the ball of light cries, bobbing in the air in apparent distress.

"I thought it was a trick!" Tony whines, slumping back against the tree and kicking his bare feet a little.

The wolf isn’t sure what to think. He sits back on his haunches, tilts his head to the side. The ball of light doesn’t seem aggressive, at least, even if she does smell strangely of rain.

“Okay,” Tony says, pushing himself upright again, warm eyes shining in amusement. “Okay, you had something to tell me?”

“Yes,” the ball of light says, then makes a sound like a tiny throat clearing. “You’re a witch, Tony.”

Tony blinks slowly. Opens his mouth and then closes it again. The wolf whines.

“I’m a what,” Tony finally says.

“A witch,” she repeats and the wolf whines again, slinks backwards.

He knows that word. It’s what the hunters called themselves, makes him think of smoke and fire and screaming and _changing._

But Tony isn’t like that. Tony smells like sunlight, like fresh air, like the forest around them and the dirt rubbed into his skin, like the leaves caught in his hair and the herbs he’s always collecting, like _life._

Tony isn’t like that, he _can’t_ be.

Even now, Tony is still blinking in confusion, face open and eyes so warm as he glances down at the glow in his chest and asks “Because of this?”

“No,” says the ball of light, then wavers in the air a little. “Well, kind of. It’s why the crystal called to you, although you weren’t supposed to just _grab it.”_

Tony grins sheepishly, and the wolf huffs softly.

“You seem to be alive though,” the light continues, tiny voice dry and still musical. “And if anything embedding that shard in your chest has just made you _crazy_ powerful, so, congratulations I guess.”

“What do you—“ Tony starts to ask and then pauses, turns to look at the wolf with eyes widening in understanding.

And suddenly the wolf understands too. It’s why Tony was able to heal him, why there’s no pain, why he’s _alive._

Witch or not, Tony isn’t much like the hunters at all.

A wide smile spreads across Tony’s face, eyes nearly glowing along with the stone in his chest, and the wolf completely forgets that he’s supposed to be _leaving._

“What happened to your clothes?” The ball of light asks, floating a little closer as the wolf’s fur finally smoothes down, his ears flicking forwards.

Tony isn’t listening though, too busy pushing himself to his feet and excitedly asking ”Wait, can I fly?!”

“You know you can just _make_ more clothes, right?!”

 _“Flying,”_ Tony insists, staring at the ball of light flatly.

The wolf lets his tongue loll out in a fond smile.

The light seems almost reluctant to answer, but finally says “Yeah, if that’s what you really want, but—“

Tony drowns out the rest of the sentence with high pitched excited noises, and the wolf whines again, ears ringing with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha I’m so happy I wrote all of this ahead of time this has been a MONTH so far


	3. A Name and A Feeling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: The Curious Witch and the Cursed Wolf (Chapter 3)  
> Collaborator(s): Riot  
> Bucky Barnes Bingo Square Filled: B4, warm and fuzzy feelings  
> Starkbucks Bingo Square Filled: N4, “Why aren’t you afraid of me?”  
> Ship/Main Pairing: WinterIron  
> Rating: T  
> Major Tags/Warnings: fantasy AU, witch!Tony, wolf!Bucky, fairytale vibes, Non-graphic injury  
> Summary: Once upon a time there was a man, and a wolf. They both went into the forest looking for different things, and instead they found each other.  
> Word Count: 1,697

_Once upon a time there was a man, soaring through the air, weaving through the trees, laughing, lighter than he’d ever felt in more ways than one._

* * *

“I’m doing it, I’m flying! Look look!”

 _ **Tony,**_ the wolf says in his strange voice, like a whisper in the back of Tony’s mind, like it’s being spoken warm and low directly in his ear.

“Are you looking?!” Tony demands as he circles the clearing, picking up speed.

 _ **Don’t fly into a tree,** _the wolf tells him, but Tony is too busy crashing into a tree and hitting the ground to respond.

 _“Owww,”_ he whines and then squeaks when the wolf’s cold nose presses to the back of his neck.

Conjuring a broom for himself hadn’t been hard, once he’d simply told himself that he _could,_ and getting it off the ground hadn’t been hard either. Just like the stories.

It turned out that _steering_ was the hard part.

At least he’d thought to conjure himself up some new clothes too, hadn't scraped himself up too badly on the tree bark.

“You _can,_ but we’re in a _forest,_ I was going to say,” the ball of light says with a huff, and Tony just laughs.

He has _magic._ He can do _so many things,_ now. He'll be able to make things so much better.

"That was awesome!" Tony says gleefully as he pushes himself upright again, laughing and pushing the wolf away when he continues sniffing at Tony with obvious concern.

"Oh no, you're an idiot," the ball of light says, with a sighing sound like a soft breeze. "And you're probably going to die."

Tony is going to protest, because he's _not,_ he's just _excited,_ but the wolf beats him to it with a low growl.

 _ **He was doin' okay right up 'til the end,**_ the wolf says.

The ball of light screams, flashing brighter for a second.

"Y-you can talk?" She demands in a squeaking voice, bobbing up higher into the air.

"He's been talking the whole time," Tony says, wrinkling his nose in confusion.

 _ **Only to you,**_ says the wolf, and Tony can see the amusement beneath the stormy blue of his eyes.

 _"He can talk,"_ the light says again.

"Is that not normal?" Tony asks, still more confused than anything. "I mean, I'm a _witch,_ apparently."

 _"No,"_ the ball of light says with feeling as she floats hesitantly closer.

 _ **You're a talkin' firefly,**_ the wolf points out, baring his fangs and then snapping them when the light floats a little too close.

"He's not wrong," Tony says helpfully. The wolf lets out another soft huff of breath, his tail thumping once against the ground, and Tony smiles.

“I’m not a _firefly,”_ the light protests, wings shaking with agitation. “My name is _Pepper.”_

“Hi,” Tony says. “I’m Tony, and this is a wolf.”

The wolf makes a sound that Tony is pretty sure is a laugh, tail thumping against the ground as Pepper makes an annoyed sound.

“Are you—" she trails off, circling the wolf, and Tony steps closer because he doesn't care if the wolf isn't _'normal.'_

 _Tony_ isn't normal, never has been, and maybe all he knows is that the wolf has been through more than enough but that's _plenty._ So Pepper dips down towards the wolf again Tony bats at her with a glare.

"He's under a curse,” she says, floating up above their heads again. "A strong one."

"Oh," Tony says, even though it really shouldn't be a surprise at this point. “Do you know—“

”Look, I'm a _messenger,_ I’m not here to answer a million questions," Pepper says, sounding huffy. “I have more messages to deliver, and I'm _late_ because I had to chase you down for so long."

"Wait—" Tony says, because he _does_ have a million more questions, but she’s already floating away, still grumbling to herself.

Tony watches her go, the wolf still seated huge and solid and _wild_ beside him. When Tony looks over at him the wolf lets his tongue loll out in an expression that Tony is pretty sure is a smile.

"So, cursed huh?" Tony asks, and the wolf tips its head to the side for a moment before nodding slowly. “Do, um... do you have a name?”

 _ **Don’t know,** _says the wolf, ears drooping a little.

Tony can’t let that stand, has to do _something._

“Well you need a name,” he declares. “So we’ll just have to give you one. What do you want it to be?”

The wolf shifts, still a little unsteady on three legs, and droops a little further.

“Well, you probably don’t want _me_ picking out a name for you,” Tony says with a sheepish grin. “You’ll end up with something like _Buttercup.”_

The wolf lets out a sharp huff of breath.

 _ **Bucky,** _he finally says. _**I think... it used to be Bucky.**_

“That’s a _terrible_ name,” Tony says gleefully, “I _love_ it. I’m going to call you Buckaroo, and Bucky-bear, and—“

 _ **Don’t,**_ Bucky says with a flash of his teeth.

Tony just laughs. Bucky leans over and nudges his huge head into Tony’s chest, knocking him over in the dirt again.

He pushes himself upright and Bucky is smiling at him again, eyes bright. He continues watching Tony, like he’s waiting for something, head cocked slightly to the side.

“It probably won’t be long until you’re walking as good as new,” Tony says slowly, because he doesn’t want to say goodbye. “I guess, you probably have somewhere you need to be—“

Bucky whines again, such a deep and sorrowful sound, drops his chin down to rest on his front paw and stares up at Tony with big sad eyes.

“Or!” Tony says quickly, heart jumping. “Or, you, if you wanted to come with me...”

Bucky’s tail wags aggressively, and Tony smiles. The stone in his chest glows bright enough to shine through his shirt, like it’s connected directly to the warmth spreading through his heart.

“I’ll get better at flying,” Tony says quickly, “So I won’t hold you back, your stride has to be _huge—“_

 _ **No flyin’ in the trees,**_ Bucky interrupts, and then huffs when Tony pouts.

Bucky pushes himself to his feet, gives himself a great shake like he’s shaking off water, and Tony watches in awe as half of his size melts away. Until Bucky’s head is barely even with his shoulder, much smaller but no less fearsome.

 _ **Ready,**_ Bucky says, smiling again, white fangs no less intimidating now that they’re smaller.

Tony smiles back, collects all his things, and they go.

* * *

They walk deeper into the forest, and Tony tells stories of all the things he’s seen so far, all the people he’s met and the ideas he’s had, all the _new_ ideas that he has now.

There are so many inventions he can build now that he can summon the parts he needs. So many people he can help back in his old village, that he can _heal,_ and maybe they’ll actually _listen_ to him this time. Maybe they’ll _let_ him help.

Bucky listens, asks questions, lets Tony grab onto him for balance when he gets distracted talking with his hands and tips over a tree root.

Bucky says that he doesn’t remember much, only running, being hunted. Tony doesn’t ask any questions.

As the trees grow even taller around them though Bucky slowly says that sometimes, he remembers more. What it was like to have a home, a _life,_ but it’s faded, barely more than a dream now.

Tony doesn’t know what to say so he reaches out instead, runs his fingers through Bucky’s thick fur a couple times. Bucky’s steps lighten, ears and tail perking up again, and Tony smiles.

It’s nice, not to be alone.

Night falls early, this deep in the forest. The thick leaves blot out all light from the stars, and the darkness is deep and cool around them.

"Do you think I can manage an all-night magical fire to keep us warm?" Tony asks once they find a place to spend the night, safe between an outcropping of rock and the roots of an ancient oak tree. "Or should I just magic us up some blankets?"

He does want to try the fire, but he also wants to _not_ burn them both to a crisp overnight.

 _ **Blankets,**_ Bucky scoffs and gives him a look that Tony quickly figured out is his version of a teasing grin, stops sniffing at the ground to push himself to his feet and then stretches, stretches, _stretches_ himself out huge again. Until he once again stands taller than Tony's head, huge and fearsome.

Then he drops down to the ground again, makes himself comfortable and gives Tony an expectant look. He huffs in fake annoyance when Tony flops out on top of him, but Tony isn’t buying it.

Tony wiggles and shifts until he can prop his crossed arms and chin on top of Bucky’s massive head, grinning down at him. Snuggling into Bucky thick fur and soaking up all his warmth.

 _ **Why aren’t you afraid of me?**_ Bucky asks, his usually quiet voice even softer.

"Why would I be?" Tony asks, frowning a little.

All he's seen of Bucky so far has been pain, and fear, a hesitant reaching out and a warm soul beneath it all. The way he'd jumped in front of Tony when Pepper first showed up.

Nothing that Tony should be scared of.

He pushes his fingers into Bucky's fur, scratches behind his ear, and smiles again when Bucky's eyes fall closed.

"Why aren't you afraid of _me?"_ Tony has to know, because he'd seen the way Bucky had gone tense at the word _witch._ He'd seen the wound that took Bucky's leg, seared and torn as if by some incredible force and heat. Something unnatural and _terrible._

He'd really expected Bucky to leave.

 _ **You're... different,**_ Bucky says slowly, so warm. _**Safe. Good.**_

Tony presses his smile into Bucky's fur, cheeks warm.

"Well, since neither of us have anything to be afraid of, maybe we should stick together,” Tony says. "You know, for safety."

 _ **For safety,**_ Bucky agrees, and presses his head up harder into Tony's hand.


	4. A Choice and A Chance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: The Curious Witch and the Cursed Wolf (Chapter 4)  
> Collaborator(s): Riot  
> Bucky Barnes Bingo Square Filled: C1, “kiss me”  
> Starkbucks Bingo Square Filled: B2, Chosen family  
> Ship/Main Pairing: WinterIron  
> Rating: T  
> Major Tags/Warnings: fantasy AU, witch!Tony, wolf!Bucky, fairytale vibes, Non-graphic injury  
> Summary: Once upon a time there was a man, and a wolf. They both went into the forest looking for different things, and instead they found each other.  
> Word Count: 2,181

_Once upon a time there was a wolf._

_He never would have thought he’d find himself traveling with a witch, but it was the happiest he could ever remember being._

_He still didn’t know who he used to be, where he came from, but with every day he cared less._

_The wolf no longer longed for a home he couldn’t remember, content to follow the witch through the forest, wherever he led._

_He watched the witch study plants and strange stones, watched him interact with the people and other strange things they met among the trees._

_Always so eager to learn, to **help.**_

The wolf had never met anyone like him.

* * *

“Have we passed that tree before?” Tony asks, adorable wrinkle between his eyebrows. “I thought you said you have a good sense of direction.”

 _ **I do,**_ Bucky thinks and huffs as he nudges Tony in the thigh with his shoulder, grinning when Tony squawks and pretends to trip over him. _**The forest is circular.**_

“That’s _awful,”_ Tony says gleefully. “I _love_ it. How does that even _work?”_

He spends the next half a day trying to guess and Bucky doesn’t even understand half the words he uses. He could happily listen to Tony talk all day, could listen to it _forever._

“What do you think, magic vortex or temporal wormhole?” Tony asks eventually, grinning at him, wide and bright.

 _ **Changed my mind, I think you jus’ got us lost,**_ Bucky thinks and then barks out a laugh when Tony tries to shove at him, dodging easily out the way.

“I’m going to turn you into a rug,” Tony grumbles.

Bucky snaps his teeth and Tony just laughs, and Bucky can’t stop his tail from wagging even as he growls louder.

“You haven’t died yet?” Comes a voice from up above them, hidden among the thick leaves, and Bucky rolls his eyes as Tony’s face lights up.

“It’s you again!” Tony says happily, head craned way back to stare up into the trees. “Why don’t you come down here?”

“Not until he stops making that sound,” the voice says, and Bucky catches a glimpse of soft blue light between the shifting branches.

He growls louder.

“That’s his happy noise!” Tony calls helpfully and Bucky loses his growl in another huff of laughter.

Pepper is grumbling to herself as she slowly floats down towards them, pointedly much closer to Tony. Bucky gives her a toothy grin.

“So, what, he just _likes_ being cursed?” Pepper as she bobs around Tony’s head, making a thoughtful sound when Tony swats at her. “I can actually see that, probably useful to be a wolf in a forest.”

 _ **Pretty useful,**_ Bucky admits, because it _is,_ more than once he’s had to get between Tony and the things they meet. Things with fangs and claws.

Tony is too curious for his own good, but Bucky has sharper claws, bigger fangs. He will do anything for Tony, and by now everything in the forest should know it.

"Wait, is it— do you know how to break the curse?" Tony asks, face lighting up the way it always does at the prospect of learning something new

"I'm not the one who's a witch," Pepper, as if the answer should be obvious.

“Can _I_ break it?” Tony asks, and Bucky’s heart jumps in his chest.

He hadn’t even _thought—_

Pepper sighs, impressively loud for such a tiny thing.

“Probably,” she says and her wings flutter, as if shrugging. “You won’t know unless you try, that’s been your method so far, right?”

“Aw, you’ve been watching,” Tony says, fluttering his long eyelashes, and Bucky laughs again.

“Maybe,” Pepepr says with another tiny shrug but floats a little closer, glows a little brighter. “You’re more interesting can carrying gossip for lazy old witches.”

“A ringing endorsement,” Tony says, nodding, then grins when the glowing light lets out a delicate laugh and swoops down to bounce off the top of his head.

“So you’ve almost made it out of the forest now,” Pepper says and she’s addressing them both now. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

“No,” Tony says, but he’s smiling widely and Bucky can hear the warm, happy thump of his heart. “And also _very much yes.”_

 _ **Better,**_ Bucky thinks smugly.

He hadn’t come into the forest looking for anything except to survive, never could have expected Tony.

“I’m glad,” Pepper says, like she really means it. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”

“You should take a vacation sometime,” Tony says with a teasing grin. “I really do have a million more questions.”

 _ **An’ I could use a good snack,**_ Bucky adds, flashing his teeth.

Pepper huffs again, bounces off Bucky’s head too before disappearing into the thick trees.

“I like her,” Tony says decisively.

 _ **You like anyone who gives you shit,**_ Bucky thinks fondly.

Tony gasps, clutches his hands over the glow in his chest, and Bucky barks out another laugh.

“I’ll show you,” Tony grumbles, chases him through the trees when Bucky turns and bounds away, breathless and laughing.

They stop for the night when the trees start to thin, starlight peaking between the shifting leaves.

Bucky has barely stretched himself out and lain down before Tony is curling in against his side, so small when Bucky is at his largest and still so unafraid.

He flicks his tail up over Tony’s lap and chest even though the nights are warmer now. It’s habit, and he likes to feel the steady rise and fall of Tony’s chest.

Tony runs his fingers through Bucky’s fur, smoothing tangles and pulling loose twigs and leaves.

“Would you want to be human, if- if I even _can_ break the curse?” Tony asks, his voice so soft and his eyes fixed on his hands. “You could... find a new home. Make a new life. If you want.”

Bucky whines, presses his nose to the curve of Tony’s neck. He can hear the rapid thump of Tony’s heart, the catch of his breathing.

 _ **Want to stay with you,** _Bucky thinks, with all the feeling he can possibly put into it. _**Any size, any shape.**_

Tony’s heartbeat jumps and his chest glows warm and bright.

“Okay, okay that’s- good,” Tony says and Bucky can hear his smile.

He falls asleep quickly, head tipped back against Bucky’s ribs and snoring softly. Bucky curls around him a little tighter, thinks about being _human._

Bucky falls asleep more slowly, dreams of being able to hold Tony’s hands in his own.

* * *

_Once upon a time there was a man._

_He left home looking for somewhere to belong. Instead, he found someone to belong **with.**_

It was so much better than he could have imagined.

He went looking for a way to help, a way to make life better, and he found **magic.**

The people of his village had told him he wouldn’t find anything, insisted it as he’d packed up to leave, and he proved them wrong.

He couldn’t wait to show them what he could do, how much he could **help.** So many of his wonderful ideas he could finally bring to life without worrying about materials.

_So many more places he could see._

_And someone to see them with._

* * *

**_Where will you go, after the forest?_** Bucky asks as morning sunlight pours through the leaves, emerald bright. _**Back to your village?**_

Tony continues scratching behind Bucky’s ears as he thinks about the question, still sprawled across Bucky’s back, warm and half asleep.

“To start,” he says. “Are you- you’re coming with me, right?”

Bucky hesitates, and Tony’s heart sinks a little in his chest.

 _ **The hunters, the other witches, they’ll still be lookin’ for me,**_ Bucky says slowly, ears drooping. _**They won’t follow me into th’ forest, but if I leave...**_

Tony wiggles his way down off Bucky’s back, slides around to sit in front of him. Takes Bucky’s giant head between his palms.

“I won’t let them get to you,” Tony says and he’s never meant anything more, looks Bucky right in his sad, stormy eyes so he’ll know it. “You protected me in the forest, and I’ll protect you out of the forest.”

 _ **Still gonna protect you,**_ Bucky says with a huff but his eyes are lighter, like sunlight beginning to break through storm clouds.

“Yeah yeah,” Tony says with a wide smile and leans in to press his forehead to Bucky’s. “So we’ll just have to protect each other, how does that sound?”

He can feel it when Bucky drags in a deep breath, lets it out slowly. The forest is alive around them, loud with the rustle of wind and creatures through the trees and bushes.

Tony’s world stands still.

 _ **I want to break the curse,**_ Bucky finally says, low and sure. _ **An’ I want to stay with you.**_

Tony sits upright again, chewing on his lip.

“I, I can _try,_ I just...“ Tony trails off for a moment, ducking his chin. “I don’t want to mess it up, if I hurt you—“

 _ **You won’t,**_ Bucky says, like he _knows_ it, like he doesn’t have a doubt. _**I trust you.**_

Tony can’t breathe for a second, can only nod. No one has ever said that to him before, no one else has ever wanted his help.

 _ **Just try,**_ Bucky says, bumping his head against Tony’s chest and giving him a toothy smile.

“Okay,” Tony says, smiling back helplessly. “Okay.”

So he scoots back in the dirt, closes his eyes and holds up his hands, and _tries._

The forest falls still and silent, even the wind dying away.

Bright light fills the small clearing, bright enough that Tony can see it through his eyelids, and then vanishes. Tony opens his eyes to a giant puff of smoke where Bucky should be, and his heart is in his throat.

The wind picks up again, motion returning to the trees, and the cloud of smoke slowly clears away.

“You did it!” Bucky cries, then smirks with lots of teeth. “Was kinda hopin’ you’d have to kiss me, though.”

His voice is still low and warm and now _real,_ eyes still stormy blue and so familiar.

He’s also _very naked,_ all pale skin and thick muscle, not a hint of shame.

 _“Clothes!!”_ Tony squeaks, slapping his hands over his face. Even if he can’t help peeking between his fingers, just a little. “I didn’t know I needed to include clothes!”

“Clothes,” Bucky repeats with a scoff and he doesn’t seem concerned, too busy dropping to his knees and laughing, tugging gently at Tony’s elbow.

“Humans wear clothes, that’s the deal,” Tony says and keeps his hands planted firmly over his eyes, face burning with the force of his blush.

“‘M gonna kiss you now,” Bucky says, very politely. “Please move your hands.”

“You need _pants!!”_ Tony insists as he peeks between his fingers again.

“Can’t believe you think that’s more important right now,” Bucky says with a pout, crossing his arm over his chest. The fluffy ears still on top of his head droop a little.

Tony isn’t sure if he’s just bad at breaking curses, or if Bucky had been under the curse too long. He supposes it doesn’t matter, Bucky certainly doesn’t seem bothered.

“I’m putting pants on you!” Tony declares, because that _is_ what’s important right now. He’s a little lightheaded with all the heat gathering in his cheeks.

Bucky yelps a little in surprise when the pants appear on him, then quickly returns to tugging Tony’s hands away from his face.

Tony lets his arms fall but Bucky catches one of them by the wrist, gently and carefully winds their fingers together, clutches him tightly.

When he looks up Bucky’s eyes are lighter than Tony has ever seen them, practically glowing. His smile is wide, a little awed, and full of sharp teeth.

Tony smiles back, gives his hand a little tug.

“Now kiss me, what are you waiting for?” Tony demands petulantly.

Bucky laughs, and then he does.

* * *

They walk out of the forest, hand in hand, and the world opens up huge around them.

Tony barely recognizes the inn, with its fresh coat of paint and flowering shrubs. The windows stream light and music onto the grass, a dozen raucous voices floating in the dusk.

It feels like forever since Tony was last here, since he walked into the trees alone.

The old man waves from the back door, doesn’t look surprised to see him at all.

Tony waves back with a wide grin, and the old man laughs loud and booming, turns to return to the kitchen.

“So, back to my village?” Tony asks as he turns to Bucky, that tiny pit of fear still in his stomach. Still a tiny bit unsure.

“Wherever you want,” Bucky says, like a promise, giving Tony’s hand a squeeze.

“And then wherever you want,” Tony insists. “Anywhere you want, that’s only fair.”

Bucky blinks at him, and then smiles.

“That’s fair,” Bucky repeats and pulls him in.

* * *

_Once upon a time there was a wolf, and a man._

_And they lived happily ever after._

__

**Author's Note:**

> Anywhooo updates every Saturday for the next three weeks, and then the spooky day itself, when I will hopefully have a long awaited sequel. Bonus point to anyone who can guess what it will be ahaha.


End file.
